To Get Doctors to Do Better,
Health Plans Try Cash Bonuses

For more than a year, auditors for six California health plans have been analyzing data from patient encounters with 45,000 doctors. They rated the doctors' adherence to some basic guidelines for good care, with extra points for patient satisfaction and investing in new technology.

But there is far more at stake here than bragging rights for who provides the best medical care. The top-rated doctors will split a bonus pool of $40...